ATLANTA — At the time, Coleman Shelton didn’t know his future would involve football. He couldn’t know yet how much the man on TV would affect his life.

Shelton was just a kid who couldn’t believe what he just saw; a kid who knew Boise State coach Chris Petersen was different.

“I was watching that Fiesta Bowl in 2007 with my dad, and seeing [Petersen] on the sideline, I remembered really respecting him because who does that? Who calls a hook-and-ladder and a Statue of Liberty to win the game?” the Washington center said. “He wasn’t scared of the bigger school. That’s something that really stood out. He knew he had a chance.”

Boise State’s memorable upset of Oklahoma that night introduced Petersen to the world, introducing millions to the idea a school outside the Power Five could compete for a national championship.

Despite finishing that season as the nation’s only undefeated team, the Broncos finished fifth in the rankings. A perfect regular season in 2008 ended with an invitation to the Poinsettia Bowl. The next year, Boise State completed another undefeated season and finished fourth in the polls, denied an opportunity against the only other undefeated team that year — Alabama.

Now, Petersen gets his shot at Nick Saban in Saturday’s College Football Playoff semifinal at the Peach Bowl. Now, only an opponent can deny Washington’s coach a national championship.

“I think everybody likes to settle things on the field,” Petersen said at Thursday’s Peach Bowl media day. “Whoever wins this thing, I feel like everybody’s gonna say this is the best team this year.”

When Steve Sarkisian left Washington following the 2013 season, Petersen — the only two-time winner of the Paul “Bear” Bryant Award for NCAA coach of the year — wasn’t seen as the school’s best option. Jim Mora Jr. was the top choice, but he remained at UCLA, prompting Petersen to let the Huskies know he was interested.

Petersen rebuffed offers from other big schools during his eight years leading Boise State, but “the time felt right.”

Alabama coach Nick SabanAP

After going 15-12 in his first two seasons with a program that hadn’t won double-digit games since 2000, the 52-year-old made Washington a national power well ahead of schedule, going 12-1 to claim the Pac-12 championship this season.

“When we came to Washington, we expected to be good,” Petersen said. “It took us a minute to get there, but there’s no feeling like, ‘Wow, we made it.’ ”

The Huskies players talk a bit about Petersen’s strength in game-planning and in development, but mostly discuss the sincerity that creates trust.

Linebacker Psalm Wooching said it’s “little stuff you wouldn’t think goes into great teams,” but the texts the players receive from their coach on their birthdays matter. The meetings that have nothing to do with football — “Real Life Wednesdays,” covering topics such as domestic violence — are important. Making the players switch lockers every month prevented the team from remaining divided by cliques, with Petersen noting better friends create better teammates.

“The first thing he said to us was, ‘I’m gonna treat you guys like you’re my own sons, like you’re my own family,’ ” Wooching said. “It’s great to have a father figure and a head coach who wants the best for you.”

Petersen even helped Wooching with his proposal to his girlfriend, Courtney, suggesting the senior not pop the question after the team’s final home game this season, as originally had been planned, instead doing it following a practice Nov. 16.

“He said it would be better because I would’ve had too many butterflies,” Wooching said. “He was really excited for me. He asked if I was ready, and he said that it’s the best thing that’s gonna happen to you.”

Now, Petersen’s big moment is here.

“You always knew about Boise getting gypped from being in the big games and the national championships, even though they were undefeated,” Wooching said. “I’m glad that he finally got his chance to be on this stage.”

This stage is bigger than ever before — and nothing has changed.

“I don’t feel one bit more pressure, less pressure we play in these games,” Petersen said. “I never have since the first game I ever coached. When I was a J.V. coach at UC Davis playing in front of 50 people, it honestly feels the same for me.”